Bonded by Fate
by yuki gackt
Summary: The truth of Jackson's past and birth parents finally comes to light after being kept secret for years. Everyone in Beacon Hills will be stunned and none more so than Jackson and Derek. How will they react and how will the truth change the dynamics of how Derek and Jackson behave towards each other?
1. Chapter 1

The truth of Jackson's past and birth parents finally comes to light after being kept secret for years. Everyone in Beacon Hills will be stunned and none more so than Jackson and Derek. How will they react and how will the truth change the dynamics of how Derek and Jackson behave towards each other?

A/N: This idea had been stuck in my head pretty much since episode 4 of season 1 when they revealed that Jackson was adopted. Then it just kept growing…and now after the events of S2 Ep7, I finally thought I'd get it out before the real truth came out. I'm pretty sure that my thoughts are not what TPTB for the show have in mind for Jackson, but I'm gonna go with this and hope I can finish before the big reveal on the show. If I don't, then I'll just roll with it and it won't match show canon. It picks up pretty much from the events after S2 E7.

Disclaimer: Don't own Teen Wolf or anyone in it. If I did, I'd be busy having way to much fun doing _other stuff_. ^_~

* * *

**Bonded by Fate**

**Chapter 1**

Derek was running through the woods as fast as his legs could carry him. He was desperate to expel some of the stress and tension of the last few weeks. He had thought that once he became the alpha, nothing would be able to touch him. But he didn't realize how much more difficult it actually would be. And now he was not only responsible for himself, but also for three more lives that were bonded to him forever.

If he only had to deal with the appearance of Gerard Argent and his horde of werewolf hunting minions, he would be able to handle it, but this new creature was something else entirely.

The Kanima. It was like the boogeyman in the closet that kept little kids in bed at night. Some nightmarish creature people told stories about but never thought really existed. Until now. And Derek couldn't help but feel afraid. This creature was strong, fast and secreted a toxin that rendered its victims helpless within seconds. So far nothing had worked to try to stop or even contain it. It... not it – him… Jackson.

Derek had been so sure it had been Lydia – hoped it had been Lydia. Because then it was something that Peter had caused. Because then he, Derek, wouldn't have been the one responsible.

As he kept running, his mind went back to the night he bit Jackson. Why did he do it? He had never wanted Jackson as part of his pack. Why did he take the chance? Part of him had wanted rid of Jackson because he couldn't stand him and to keep him from revealing the truth about what Derek and Scott were. And while Derek would never take a life outright, he figured that by giving Jackson what he clearly wanted so badly, it wouldn't have been on him if the spoiled brat bit it.

But Jackson survived. Derek wasn't sure if he was surprised or not when he saw Jackson for the first time after, but he was definitely surprised to feel the intense panic and racing emotions Jackson emitted that day at school that proved to Derek they were now irrevocably bonded. But then the black blood started oozing out of Jackson. His body was rejecting the bite. And by the time the next full moon rolled around, Derek couldn't feel him anymore.

He had told himself that he didn't care, that he had successfully created three wolves to form his pack. He didn't need Jackson, but he could never shake the niggling thought in the back of his head that kept asking why Jackson lived when his body refused the bite.

Now they knew and Derek knew that he was responsible. There was something in Jackson that had laid dormant his entire life until Derek bit him. And when Derek finally stopped in the middle of the woods, he asked himself, pointlessly, the question he's asked himself thousands of times: Why did he give in to his emotions and bite that jackass?

After Derek realized it was Jackson, he knew it was his mess to clean up. And killing him was the first thought that came to mind, never mind that it turns out that some mystery person was actually controlling the kanima and by extension, Jackson. But when his emotions settled, he realized that Scott had a point. He couldn't kill Jackson, not when everything he did wasn't technically his fault. And if he hadn't bit Jackson in the first place, there wouldn't even be a kanima to catch.

But there was one silver lining to this whole mess. Scott was joining his pack. Even if temporarily, it would make Derek that much stronger. Derek smiled a humorless smile and headed back to the underground hideout he'd been using after the Argents took over his house.

* * *

Jackson jolted awake for the sixth time that night. He looked at the clock on his nightstand. 4:37. It was almost morning and in a little over an hour he could go downstairs and have some much needed coffee without his parents questioning him whether everything was alright or not.

He had been having blackouts more and more frequently as the last few weeks passed by. Jackson wasn't just changing late at night anymore. He was shifting during the day. Whoever was controlling him was either getting careless or desperate as he or she didn't seem to care who was around to witness the transformation. So Jackson had resolved to stay awake until whatever this was passed from his system or he somehow got control of his body back. It was a futile act, but he couldn't think of anything else to do. It wasn't like there was anyone he could or would go to for help.

None of Jackson's friends knew about him and if any of them did know, they wouldn't exactly be his friends anymore. Danny might have been the exception, but look at what happened to him. Out of everything Jackson knew he did as the kanima, even though he had no control, hurting Danny was the only thing he was truly sorry for.

And even though Derek was the one that bit him, it was definitely out of the question to look for help there. Especially after what happened at the pool and then with Erica. Jackson still didn't really get why Derek gave him the bite when Derek had wanted to kill him since before he became the alpha. Derek had even tried when he brought Jackson to the abandoned house that first time. If Scott hadn't shown up, Jackson probably wouldn't have gotten out alive.

It occurred to Jackson that if he just went to Scott and asked for help, that Scott and by extension Stiles and Alison would be more than willing to help him. But pride kept getting in the way.

So Jackson just resolved to handle it alone. And who knows, maybe the person behind everything would show him or herself to him soon and make some send of everything.

Thinking back to the bite, Jackson was really starting to regret it. He still put up a front to Scott and everyone else, but behind his façade, he was wishing it had never happened. He didn't even really understand why he wanted it so bad other than the fact that Scott had it and it made Scott faster and stronger than him. Was being faster and stronger really worth all the other troubles Scott had? He could probably have gotten some similar results if he started taking steroids, but at the time, Jackson answered yes without hesitation because he couldn't really grasp what the troubles really entailed. He just knew that he wanted the bite and nothing else would do.

Unfortunately, his own troubles now seem to make Scott's pale in comparison. Jackson had unwittingly made himself a target for the Argents and Derek alike. And all for things he didn't even remember doing and had no control over.

It wasn't fair! Why him? Why did he out of everyone end up being the killer scaly lizard freak puppet? Was it like Derek said? That he was a snake? Jackson knew he wasn't the nicest person and sometimes he regretted saying or doing things, but he couldn't apologize or take it back. What would people think of him if he did? He wouldn't be the most popular guy in school if he was some pushover like Scott. So he shoved that thought aside. Maybe it was because he had gotten some of Lydia's DNA in him like he had first thought? And then another thought stuck him. Maybe it was already in him all along. Something in his own DNA that clashed with Derek's bite.

Jackson started getting worked up again. He always got worked up when he thought about his birth parents. He had no recollection of them and no idea what they were like or why they gave him up. Questions of self doubt and thoughts of unworthiness bubbled up again. Why did they give him up? There must have been something wrong with him for them to reject him. The fact that he had two parents who chose and adopted him and loved and cared for him for 10 years didn't seem to offer much comfort.

Maybe his birth parents were some kind of lizard people. Jackson shook his head and squeezed his eyes closed as images or creatures from V flashed through his mind. His adopted parents claimed to know nothing about them and that they got Jackson from an orphanage when he was a little kid. Jackson had believed them, but lately he had been feeling that maybe they knew more than they were sharing with him.

Jackson looked back to the clock. 6:02. He had managed to stay up for the night and hadn't had any blackouts. He got out of bed and got ready to go to school.

Whatever the truth was, Jackson now had a new resolve. He would find out everything about his birth parents. No matter what the consequences were.

* * *

I wanted to just jump into the story, but I wanted to write a bit on Derek and Jackson's current frame of mind, etc first…I just didn't think it would be so long… -_- Next chapter will be more exciting…I promise!

Reviews would be greatly appreciated. =)


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews everyone! And yes, one of my goals is to humanize Jackson cuz I know he's a total jerk on the outside partly cuz he is insecure and got all this emotional turmoil inside. What he really needs is a shrink…not the bite…lol. So I think that there is good in Jackson…just gotta find it. =)

Disclaimer: Don't own Teen Wolf or anyone in it. If I did, I'd be busy having way to much fun doing _other stuff_. ^_~

* * *

**Bonded by Fate**

**Chapter 2**

When Jackson went downstairs, he saw that his father was already up and in his office looking through some files and looks up when he heard footsteps, "Morning son. Sleep well?"

Pasting on a smile, Jackson replies, "Yeah, of course." He then swiftly moves into the kitchen before his father could ask any more questions.

He went over to their state of the art coffee maker and pushed the buttons for a double shot of espresso and downed it before his mother walked in.

She smiled at him and walked over to hug him. "Morning sweetheart, have a good night?"

Again, Jackson falsely replies, "Yep." And awkwardly hugs her back.

She moved to the fridge to get things and asked what he wanted for breakfast but Jackson just made excuses about having to get to school and workout. It wasn't as if he was dying to go to school. After all, he had other issues to face there, but he just couldn't be around his parents lately.

Actually, he'd always held part of himself back from his parents. They functioned as a normal family, but there were just certain things that he felt he couldn't do or say. He didn't really understand why and wished he didn't feel the way he felt, but he couldn't help it. Sometimes he wished that they had never told him the truth. Everything was great before then. But they did and there was nothing he could do to change it.

But ever since the incident in the video store, they'd been treating him differently. More attentive, more…just more. It felt like they were smothering him and Jackson couldn't really take it anymore. It was like the wall he inadvertently erected between him and his parents after they told him that he was adopted had gotten higher with all the new secrets he had to keep and the additional emotional turmoil that came with them.

Shifting uncomfortably, Jackson told himself he had to get out of there. Especially knowing that at any minute he could shift and kill them at someone else's whim.

Jackson quickly said his goodbyes to his parents and walked towards the garage. As he passed his father's office, he saw the safe that sat in the wall behind his father's desk. He'd always known it was there, but it never meant anything to him. Until now. As soon as he got back from school, he was gonna start figuring out a way to get into that safe.

* * *

"I'll be fine, I promise," Erica reassured Derek again as he pulled up to the school.

After the attack on her, Derek realized just how inexperienced and fragile members of his pack were compared to the kanima. They were his responsibilities and he was going to try his damnedest to make sure that none of them suffered like that again.

"Yeah, we got her back," Isaac said confidently, walking down the school steps and leaning over the side of the car, and Boyd nodded in agreement.

"Stay away from it," Derek said firmly. "If you see it, just run. Do you understand?"

"What? Why would we do that?" Boyd asked incredulously. "We can take care of ourselves and besides there's three of us."

"Yeah! Three against one!" Isaac chimed in.

Derek turned to glare at the guys. "Did you not see what it did to Erica? And it even managed to render me paralyzed before too. It's dangerous. And none of you are capable of fighting it."

Erica spoke up quietly, "It. You keep calling the kanima an it. But it's a him. Jackson."

"She's got a point. It's Jackson. And he's still flesh and blood when he's not the kanima," Boyd added.

Isaac nodded in agreement, "Why can't we take him out when he's in human form? I thought you wanted to kill him."

Sighing, Derek turned to look each of them in the eyes. "We're not killing him. He didn't know what he was doing when he was the kanima. Besides, we need to find the person who's controlling him. That's the real problem. If Jackson was gone, it would only be a matter of time before whoever was pulling the strings would find some other puppet to do their dirty work."

Being the more cocky of the trio, Isaac mutters, "Is that you talking or Scott?"

Derek growls, eyes flashing, reaches through the window and grabbing Isaac's jacket, bangs his head against the side of the car. "It's me. And don't ever question me again. Understand?" He turns to look at each of them again and the look in Derek's eyes brooked no arguments.

Just as Derek turned back to face the front of the car, his spots his other responsibility pulling into a space in his shiny Porsche.

"Get out," Derek orders his pack, eyes not moving from Jackson as he got out the car.

Derek knew the moment Jackson saw him, because he halted for a second and his jaw clenched the way it always did when Derek was around him. Then he hastily walked into the school.

Maybe it was time he and Jackson had another heart to heart, Derek thought to himself as he peeled away from the curb.

* * *

Jackson was trying to get a grip on himself as he walked to his locker. He should have ditched and dealt with the fallout later. Coming to school was a bad idea because who did he see the second he got out of his car but Derek. The one person who scared the shit out of him. Had done so ever since the first time they spoke.

Even though there were other werewolves in town, Derek's pack were just minions and Scott was pretty much still a pushover who wasn't willing to hurt anyone. But Derek was serious trouble and Jackson fully believed that he would cheerfully murder him in his sleep, especially now with all that's happened.

Taking out his chemistry book, Jackson shut his locker and walked to class. Danny was in his class and offered some sense of comfort and for some whatever reason, Mr. Harris always favored him.

As the bell rang and Jackson sat down, Danny leaned towards him and asked, "Dude, where were you this morning? You never miss morning practice. Coach was pissed."

Jackson blinks, confused, and asks, "What are you talking about? What morning practice? When did we have – ?" He cut himself off when he remembered. Of course there was morning practice. And he didn't go. Which meant he'd had another black out and the mystery person had taken over again. So where the hell was he this whole time between leaving home and getting to school?

Barely able to concentrate, Jackson went through the rest of the day in a haze. Even at lunch, when he sat with his usual crowd, watching them laughing and talking about some rave coming up, he could barely hear a word they said. When asked if he was going, he sensed himself nodding even though he had no desire to go.

When the final bell rang, Jackson felt relieved and rushed to his car. He was on a mission. One of his own initiative and not one forced on him.

As soon as he got home, he dropped his backpack by the door and ran into his father's office. Opening the cabinet, he stared at the dial on the safe. 'How the hell am I going to get this open?' He asked himself.

Looking around the office, he spotted the rolodex and flipped through it, hoping his father had written the code on the safe. Nothing…

On a whim, Jackson reached out and spun the dial. Immediately, it was as if his hearing was heightened and he could hear the audible movements of the lock mechanism.

Jackson let out a breath and grinned. Finally, something good came from all this. Remembering all the shows where someone cracks a safe by using a stethoscope, Jackson pressed his ear to the door and slowly turned the dial.

Turning, turning, turning, then a subtle click. Jackson gasped and thinks that this is gonna work. He looks down. The first number is 6. Turning, turning, turning, and then another click. 15. It was his birthday. Jackson's lips pulled into a small smile. For some reason, it made him happy that his dad used his birthday.

Then it was back to business. One more number. Turning the dial slowly, he hears a click at 3. Taking a deep breath, Jackson turns the latch and the door opens. Success!

Jackson quickly scans the contents of the safe, pulling out envelopes and boxes. There were checkbooks and bank statements and deeds and car titles. There were passports and a small stack of money and a…gun? 'Well, I guess that will be useful if I ever need it,' he thinks to himself.

After looking through everything in the safe, Jackson sat on the floor. Nothing. _Nothing_. There was nothing other than the various financial and personal documents. Nothing about his adoption or his birth parents. Jackson sighed. He was so sure _something_ would be in there.

Leaning back against the cabinet, Jackson shut the safe door. He closed his eyes and suddenly opened them wide. There was another safe! His mother's jewelry safe.

Making his way upstairs, Jackson entered his parents' room and walked into the closet. Pushing back some clothes, he found it. The wall safe. He hadn't seen it in ages, since he didn't make a habit of hanging out in his parents' room, but there it was.

Not wanting to spend any extra time, Jackson went on a hunch and turned the dial: 6, click. 15, click. 3, click. He smiled again. Parents are so predictable. Turning the latch the door swung open revealing…boxes. Boxes with rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, watches.

Jackson took out all the boxes and swept his hand around the safe. Nothing again! Out of frustration, he punched the back of the safe. And it gave. Jackson tilted his head to one side. "Oh my god, there's a false back," he whispers to himself.

He removes the false back aside and a manila envelope fell forward. Hands shaking, Jackson takes it out and opens it, pulling out a pile of papers, he started quickly skimming through them looking for anything about his birth parents.

The first were his adoption papers. No document from his birth parents relinquishing parental rights was attached. Not even their names were mentioned. Next was a document naming him a ward of the state due to _the death of biological parents_. Jackson let out another breath. His birth parents were dead. That's why they didn't raise him. It wasn't that they didn't want him, they died!

Jackson leaned back against the wall of the closet and squeezed his eyes shut. Why didn't his parents – his _adopted_ parents just tell him the truth? Why keep it a secret and hide it this whole time. So much hurt feeling and emotional turmoil could have been avoided if they had just told him the truth. Frustrated, he banged the back of his head against the wall.

Pulling himself together, he opened a folder and found a birth certificate for a Jacob Jackson Hale, Jr. Jackson halts, breath caught in his throat, then, "What the fuck? Hale? _Hale_?"

* * *

A/N: There it is! =D Are you shocked? Lol…it seemed like a no brainer to me when I was watching.

Back in season 1 I thought show Jackson didn't know his birth parents died, since he was described as desperate to please them and that typically only happens to people with abandonment issues. But then in season 2 they made it seem like he did know… -_- But just so we're clear, my Jackson did not know they died. He assumed they gave him up.

And I'm not really following the show, but I decided to pick certain events to use if it suits my purposes (like the rave in S2E8), if not then it didn't happen in my story. But you'll have to watch the show to find out what happens in these events cuz I'm gonna mention them, but not cover them and of course I'll tie into who's been controlling Jackson…which I have to admit I did not see that one coming. Even tho I knew he was some weird creepy dude from the first time we see him take a pic of Alison…lol.

And it looks I'm not the only one who thought that Jackson could be a long lost Hale. I did think maybe he was Peter's son when the alpha spared him in season 1, but then Peter talked about murdering Jackson and I was like…ok maybe not.

Sorry I rambled so much. Reviews would be greatly appreciated. =)


	3. Chapter 3

FINALLY! An update!

Thanks for the reviews everyone! Sorry I haven't been updating…been distracted by the Olympics and all the hot guys lol. And I couldn't decide on how to end this chapter…kept changing my mind again and again and again... But I finally settled on the route to go. =)

Disclaimer: Don't own Teen Wolf or anyone in it. If I did, I'd be busy having way to much fun doing _other stuff_. ^_~

* * *

**Bonded by Fate**

**Chapter 3**

Jackson stared at the birth certificate – what had to be _his_ birth certificate – in shock. _Hale_. It had to be a coincidence, he thought in denial. It had to be. There was no way his parents, and by extension him, were related to the infamous Hales of Beacon Hills. After all, how many Smiths and Roberts and Lees are there in the world, Jackson reasoned to himself. Lots; more than one can count. So it had to be purely coincidence. Right? But his stomach had already started knotting together.

Next he found papers officially changing the name of Jacob Jackson Hale Jr. to Jackson Whittemore, confirming that the birth certificate was his. 'Why did they change my name?' He wondered.

Following that was a sealed document and that turned out to be a huge trust fund made out to him that would be turned over when he was 18. Jackson couldn't help but wonder why his parents had so much money and where it came from.

Then he found various newspaper clippings about an accident involving a semi-truck and a passenger vehicle, his parents' car. Looking at the first one: "Couple Killed in Trailer Truck Accident," Jackson took a deep breath and started reading. Then he saw it, right at the beginning: Janice and Jacob Hale – Jackson's breath stalled. There they were. His parents' names. For the first time, he knew who his real parents were.

Continuing on, the article stated that his parents were driving late in the evening when the driver of a semi-truck fell asleep behind the wheel and jack-knifed his truck causing the trailer to smash into his parents' car. They were killed instantly. The article also provided some grisly details about the state of their bodies when local authorities arrived on the scene.

Squeezing his eyes shut and trying to get the images out of his mind, Jackson realized that not once in the article did he see any mention of him or that the couple killed even had a child. "Why didn't they mention me? Where was I?" He wondered out loud.

There were a few other articles with basically the same information. Then he saw another titled: "Multi-Million Dollar Settlement and Insurance Claims for Unnamed Beneficiaries in JL Freight Accident." Again, no mention of his name specifically, but according to the article, whoever their beneficiary was, they were going to be getting a big check. And now the trust fund made sense.

The last clipping was an obituary. Sucking a breath, Jackson stared at the picture of a smiling couple. These were his parents. The obituary was short but Jackson soaked every word in, having been deprived of any information all his life. His mother grew up in some town in Colorado and his father was from…Beacon Hills. Another coincidence, he tried to convince himself, even as the knot in his stomach grew bigger.

At the end there was the typical deceased is survived by list. It said his mother was survived by her mother and his father by his brothers Peter and –.

Suddenly Jackson couldn't breath. He wasn't sure what Derek's father's name was, but he definitely knew that Derek's psycho uncle was named Peter. It couldn't be another coincidence. How many Peter Hales could there be in Beacon Hills? That meant that his birth father was Derek's uncle's brother, which meant that his father was also Derek's uncle, which meant that Derek was his cousin.

Jackson leaned back against the wall and started laughing softly at the irony of it all. He finally finds his real family and the only surviving member was Derek, a guy who hates his guts and wants him dead. It was like a story that came straight from a Greek tragedy or something.

* * *

Derek pulled up to Jackson's house, unaware of the bombshell Jackson just discovered and the emotional fallout that was still coming down. He saw that Jackson's car was in the driveway. And though he wasn't sure if it was a good idea, Derek told himself that he needed to talk to Jackson and find out if he remembered anything at all, though it clearly seemed as if Jackson had no idea what he was doing when he transformed and until just the other day, didn't even have a clue that he was the kanima.

Even though Derek tried to convince himself he was just there to talk to Jackson, the alpha part of him still demanded that he intimidate Jackson and make him fear him, partly because Derek had come to fear the kanima.

As Derek turned off the ignition, he tried to think of how to he was going to get Jackson to talk to him in the first place. He doubted Jackson would even open the door to him. He could always kick the door in, but considering who Jackson's parents were, he really didn't need any more legal trouble.

Getting out of the car, he started walking up to the front door. They had to get to the bottom of this and stop the kanima and whoever was behind the murders. Scott wanted to save Jackson in the process and if it could be done, then fine, if not… Well Derek was fine with that option too. But one way or another, it had to end.

Just as he was about to lift his hand and knock, he could hear someone scrambling down the stairs frantically and stepped back just in time to see Jackson throw the door open and rush out as if being chased by ghosts.

"Whoa, what's the rush?" Derek asked, holding out his arms and taking in Jackson's ashen coloring.

Jackson paled even more when he saw Derek, "Wh-wha-what are you doing here?"

"I just came for a chat. You know, like we used to have," Derek smiled humorlessly.

"Whatever it is, I – I don't know anything and I didn't do – I didn't do anything," Jackson stammered, faltering at the last few words.

Derek arched his brows and replied, "Oh, I think we both know that you did quite a lot. And eventually the scales will have to be balanced and someone's gonna have to pay." He smirked, but inside he sensed something was off. Jackson was staring at him intensely, but it was as if there was more going on than just fear and intimidation. And considering that he was practically running out of his house, something must have happened.

Jackson, looking like he was freaking out, blustered, "Look, I didn't want any of this ok? Just get out of my way. I gotta go."

He tried pushing past Derek, but instinct kicked in and realizing that something was definitely wrong, Derek grabbed his arm. "What happened? Did you remember something? Did someone contact you? Tell me!"

"Nothing's going on! Let me go!" Jackson shouted and with a surprising burst of strength, he shoved Derek away, ran to his car and drove off.

Derek stared after him, shocked by his display and thought, 'Scott's plan better damn well work.'

He got back into his car. There was a lot of planning and preparation to do before the rave tonight.

* * *

Jackson sat in his car, completely freaked out. He thought back to just moments earlier. He had been sitting on the floor of his parents' closet completely shocked about the situation he found himself in and didn't realize how much time had passed until he glanced down to his watch and saw it was past 6. His mother would be home soon and there was no way he was going to be able to face his parents right now.

Shoving everything back into the safe, he slammed it shut and raced down the stairs. He had no idea where to go, but knew he couldn't stay. As he rushed out the door, he almost ran into Derek, the one person he wanted to face even less than his parents.

'What the hell was Derek doing there?' Jackson wondered frantically? Was he there to finally finish him off?

He remembered saying things to Derek and trying to get away and when Derek had grabbed him, Jackson felt as if there was a volcano inside him that was about to blow. He had shoved Derek away and took off as fast as he could.

And now Jackson was sitting in the parking lot of some supermarket with no idea where to go. Should he tell Derek what he found out? What would Derek say or do? Maybe he'd think Jackson was lying. Or maybe he wouldn't even care.

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Jackson didn't even notice the tingling sensation that started at the back of his neck and then…nothing.

* * *

Derek flopped down on his mattress, tired from everything that had happened earlier that night at the rave. It was well after midnight when Scott was given the all clear to be taken home. And when Derek got back, he found Boyd still bleeding from the gunshot wounds and it was clear that the wolfs bane laced bullets had done a lot of damage. Luckily, Derek had the foresight to stock up on some of those bullets after his own brush with death and Boyd was also on the road to recovery.

He squeezed his eyes shut, lifting an arm above them. It had been a long night and nothing had been accomplished. In fact, things have probably been made worse, much worse.

Jackson had transformed and escaped and added another victim to his body count. Scott almost died and although Derek managed to save him from Victoria Argent, he had inadvertently bitten her in the process. Now the Argents would be out for more than just blood. And whether she survived or not, either way, it was bad.

It also crossed Derek's mind that it was likely the end for Scott and Alison. Now that something happened to her mother, she wouldn't be so willing to help Scott in the future. Derek was not looking forward to telling Scott what happened.

Just as he was drifting off to sleep, his phone rang. Groaning, Derek picked it up and saw the caller was Erica. Seriously? It was almost dawn. Why was she calling? Derek debated letting it go to voicemail, but answered in case she was in trouble.

"Erica, now's not a good time. Unless you –" Derek started.

"You're gonna want to make time," Erica replied. "I finally got into my dad's work account and found the info on Jackson's birth parents. You definitely will want to see this."

* * *

A/N: Watch S2E8 to see what happens at the rave. And I hope no one hates the names I picked for his parents...it's a coincidence that it's all J's...lol...didn't even realize it til now.

And I think someone asked if this would be slash and it's not…obviously…since in my fic they're related. I totally ship Jerek tho, and I tried to stuff this idea cuz I ship them so much, but it just wouldn't go away…lol. But they are totally slashable…maybe another fic…

And the good news about my indecisiveness is that I have rough drafts of the next two chapters so it won't be as long before my next update…but don't take my word for it…cuz I procrastinate… ^_^;;

Reviews would be greatly appreciated. =)


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the reviews everyone!

Disclaimer: Don't own Teen Wolf or anyone in it. If I did, I'd be busy having way to much fun doing _other stuff_. ^_~

* * *

**Bonded by Fate**

**Chapter 4**

Derek looked up from where he stood, surveying Erica's house and, finding the perch he needed, leaped onto the ledge by her window, which had been left open for him. Slipping through, he found her sitting at her desk.

"What took you so long?" She asked impatiently.

"Why the hell were you up at this time of night?" He tossed back.

"Ever since I turned, I've been more nocturnal…less sleep and all that. You should know," Erica shrugged. "Besides, you shouldn't be complaining. I'd have thought you'd be grateful I stayed up and worked to get this."

Derek arches a brow, "Alright. So what did you find?" He needed as much information as he could get to combat the kanima.

Erica looked at him and said, "You should probably sit down."

Furrowing his brows, Derek asked, "Why? It's not like there haven't been bigger things that happened in this town? A fatal accident is a pretty common occurrence."

"Actually, you really should sit down. I don't want you to collapse and wake my parents," she said, looking uneasy.

Giving her a look and sighing, Derek took a seat on her bed. "Ok, can you tell me now?"

"So it actually took a long time to get access and when I finally got it, it was really weird. It seemed to be a routine traffic accident, a really bad accident, but there wasn't anything really odd about it. Driver falls asleep at wheel and hits passenger car sorta deal. But the really weird thing is, the entire file was sealed and the public reports only referred to the victims and female and male," Erica rambled a bit, clearly nervous.

It was way too late (or was it too early?) for this and Derek was not in the mood for a dissertation of the entire event. "Can you please just cut to the chase? Did you actually find anything out? Or is the file still sealed? It's been a long night and if –"

"No, I got it open," Erica interrupted and she clicked on something and pointed to the screen.

"Seriously? You're gonna make me read it myself?" Derek leaned forward when Erica remained quiet.

He scanned the first couple lines and then he saw it. A name that he knew: Jacob Hale. Derek remembered his father telling him a long time ago that his uncle Jake had died in a car accident, but wasn't willing to go into detail about what happened. And he remembered even further back that his uncle Jake had left the family and moved away. He also remembered his grandfather being extremely upset and his uncle Jake telling him he loved him, but that he had to leave.

Derek felt weak. The last time he felt so weak was when he had been shot with the wolfs bane laced bullet. He could barely get any air in his lungs.

"Are you ok?" Erica asked tentatively.

"Jacob Hale was my uncle's name," Derek whispered. Then he turned to her and said angrily, "This is the wrong file. This isn't about Jackson, this is about my uncle's death. You just dredged up another painful part of my family's history."

Erica looked him in the eye and said, "Keep reading."

"I don't think so, I'm not gonna waste my time." Derek got up to leave.

Erica reached up and grabbed his arm. "Keep reading," she insisted.

With a sense of foreboding, Derek sat back down and read the next file Erica clicked open. It was a court order stating that the deceased young son was to be kept out of the news and any reports as he was not in the car and not involved in the accident in any way. The documents also stated that their son a Jacob Jackson Hale, Jr. was to receive the entire settlement at the age of 18. Jacob _Jackson_ Hale Jr?

"Wait. His name was Jacob? Then why is he going by Jackson?" Derek asked, confused and having a hard time processing everything.

"Keep reading," Erica prodded.

The next document revealed that guardianship of Jacob Jackson Hale, Jr. was given to David Whittemore and his wife, per his uncle and aunt's will. Jackson's adopted parents! Another document revealed that the Whittemores legally adopted Jacob Jr. and changed his name to Jackson Whittemore. And a final document stated that per the birth parent's will and testimony from the adoptive parents, any record of the Hale child was to be sealed due to a fear that the biological relatives might try to take the boy against the wishes of the birth parents.

"Oh my god. He's my uncle Jake's…son? He's – he's…" Derek stumbled, unable to say it.

"He's your cousin," Erica finished for him. "What the hell happened? Did none of your family really not know he existed?"

"No…NO!" Derek shouted, ignoring her and jumping up. "It can't be. Not him. Not _him_!"

"Shhhhh! Are you trying to get me in trouble?" Erica grabbed his shoulder, trying to get him to sit back down.

Pushing her off, Derek leapt out the window and took off down the street, running towards the woods. When he reached the tree line, he dropped to all fours, running deep into the woods, the words he read echoing through his mind.

"No! No! NO!" Derek kept shouting.

When he finally stopped running, Derek realized he was only about 100 feet from his house. He hadn't even known where he was going, but instinct brought him there. To the house that he grew up in. The house that Jackson likely would have grown up in too, had his father not left the family.

Rage and disbelief bubbled over and he ran to the nearest tree, claws extended, and started clawing and striking at it, ripping off branches and chunks of bark, taking all his frustration out on the poor defenseless tree.

"Why him? Why him?! It could have been anyone. Why couldn't it have been someone else? Why did it have to be him?" Derek thought to himself.

Breathing heavily, he kept attacking the tree and didn't even realize someone approaching him until a hand clamped down on his shoulder.

Derek whirled around, roaring at whoever dared to touch him and flinging them a good 20 feet away. As he looked, he realized that it was Erica. He was so focused on his rage that he didn't even notice that she had followed him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked roughly, calming down enough so that the red in his eyes faded away.

"Trying to help you, duh!" Erica retorted. "You take off into the woods and run back to your old house? Hello! Hunters have been camping out here remember? You're totally lucky that they aren't roaming about tonight. I get that you probably got the shock of your life, but you need to get a grip and chill out."

As his claws receded, Derek realized that she was right. He had run haphazardly, blindly, into the woods without even trying to sense if danger was about. Still breathing heavily, he looked down at his hands as he started sensing the sharp stinging emanating from them. They were raw, bleeding and full of splinters. He didn't even notice the pain when he was tearing into that tree. He gingerly started to pull some of the larger pieces out and the rest were automatically pushed out as he began to heal.

Erica was quiet at first as she watched Derek pick at his hands. Then, sensing that he was as calm as he was going to be, she asked, "Are you ok? I get that you're shocked, but why would you go all crazy mad like this?"

She thought he would ignore her and stalk away and though he didn't answer her question, Erica was surprised when Derek spoke.

"My dad told me my uncle Jake died in an accident. Nothing more. No mention of him having a kid. We never even met his wife. All I was told was that he had a falling out with my grandfather and left the pack. We only went to the funeral because my grandfather had already died a couple years earlier," Derek said quietly.

"I wonder why Jackson's parents, I mean your aunt and uncle, would want to keep him away from the rest of your family?" Erica wondered. "You think it was cuz they didn't want him involved in the whole werewolf thing? Cuz if that was the case, things turned out way worse for their baby boy," she said sarcastically, trying to lighten the mood.

Derek gave her a dark look. "This isn't a joke. My whole family is dead and the only relative I find out I have left is an arrogant jock who hates me and who I tried to kill." Then he freezes, "Oh my god, I tried to kill him," Derek groans, realizing what almost happened. "I almost killed him."

"You didn't know, don't be so hard on yourself," Erica tried to reassure him.

"I think he might have known. The other day when I saw him, I think he knew something," Derek whispered, remembering the look on Jackson's face and the way he had looked at Derek.

"Knew what? That you tried to kill him? Umm, probably definitely. Especially with him being the kanima and all," Erica nodded in agreement.

"No, I think he might have found out something about his past. Or suspects something. He's probably been wondering about his birth parents his whole life. Maybe he was looking for answers too. The other day when I saw him, the way he looked at me. He was so scared, but there was something else there too. I think he knew something," Derek continued.

"Oh…well, if he knew then at least you won't have to break the news to him. There's that silver lining," Erica tried to lighten the mood again. "Why do you care so much? I get that you just found out you're related and you're in shock, but he's still a tool. And he's always been a spoiled brat."

"He's probably a spoiled brat because the Whittemores let him get that way. I can't believe they lived so close to my family and kept him away from us this whole time. And I can't believe my uncle wouldn't trust his own family with taking care of his kid. And I can't believe that I almost killed him," Derek ranted.

"You didn't know –" Erika started.

Cutting her off, Derek continues, "I never would have tried to kill him if he wasn't such a jerk, if I thought he was the least bit trustworthy. And you know what? None of this would have happened if my uncle and the Whittemores hadn't kept him from us. If he knew who he was, he never would have become the kanima! And I never would have tried to kill him!"

"So who are you angry with? Are you angry with your uncle for giving custody of Jackson to the Whittemores, or are you angry with the Whittemores for keeping Jackson from your family, or are you angry with Jackson cuz he's such a tool, or are you angry at yourself? For almost killing him and wanting him dead," Erica asked insightfully.

Her words seemed to have an effect on him because Derek said quietly, "None of that matters now…he's family. We have the same blood. And who knows how he would have turned out if my uncle and his wife had raised him. And I'm sure the Whittemores probably spoiled him because they were trying to make up for his real parents being dead and knew he felt like something was missing. Anyway, none of that matters now because he's family. The only one I've got and I have to do something." Derek said the last part resolutely.

Erica asked hesitantly, "So, what are you gonna do? Are you gonna tell him you know? What if he doesn't know? Are you gonna tell him anything?"

"He hates me. Whether he knows or not, he knows that I tried to kill him and he hates me. I turned him into the kanima, he must hate me," Derek said dejectedly, feeling the weight of his guilt pressing into his chest.

Erica had never seen Derek so vulnerable, had never seen him as anything but the completely in control alpha. But tonight she had seen a whole spectrum of emotions from him from stark raving angry to abject dejection. It was unsettling to see Derek so emotional and disconsolate. She tried for some humor again, "Technically, you would only be responsible if he had turned into a wolf. And if it makes you feel any better, he probably thinks you hate him, too. Since you, you know, tried to kill him and all. And the kanima did try to kill you as well. So you guys are kinda even."

Derek shot her another dark look but her words seemed to shake him back to himself a bit. "I want a copy of everything. Put it on a flash drive and encrypt it. Then re-seal everything you found. I don't want anyone finding out about him. Especially the Argents."

"Yeah, I could see how that could turn out really bad. If they found out that not only is he the kanima, but that he's also a Hale? He'd have two targets on his back," Erica stated the obvious, then clammed up after Derek glowered at her again.

Derek didn't know if he was surprised or not that in just a short amount of time, he had gone from not caring about whether Jackson lived or died, to being the one who wanted to protect him the most. After what happened with Peter earlier that year, he had thought that blood wasn't everything, but it turns out that it still meant a whole hell of a lot to him.

Seeing the rosy haze of sunrise on the horizon, Derek said, "You need to get home and get ready for school. I want you to keep this to yourself. Don't tell anyone, even Isaac and Boyd. And keep an eye on Jackson. Let me know if anything happens at school," Derek instructed. "I'll wait for him after school and take over surveillance then. And you can give me the flash drive then too."

"Umm…actually, I think he has a swim meet after school today. Posters were everywhere," Erica said.

"Is he really going to swim?" Derek asked.

Erica shrugged, "Probably. He's the captain of the swim team."

"Fine, then I want you at the meet. Bring the guys just in case. Tell them I want you to keep an eye on him in case he takes off as the kanima or something," Derek ordered. "And remember, do not tell anyone about this."

"Will do. So…I take it you don't hate him anymore?" Erica asked with an impish grin and took off before Derek could scowl at her again.

* * *

A/N: So I originally planned on the reveal to Derek taking maybe a page and a half or two…but it got really long and couldn't really be shortened…so it had to be its own chappy… Stay tuned. Something happens in the next chapter!

Reviews would be greatly appreciated. =)


	5. Chapter 5

I'm alive! Sorry for the long absence…but when I found out that Jackson was to be no more, I couldn't really concentrate on writing a fic that was centered on him. =( He was the most complex character on the show and 50% of the reason why I watched it in the first place… How could he do this to us?! (she shouted to the skies) Ok…enough with the dramatics. At least there's still Derek… Anyway, even after I got over it I was super busy…but I've recommitted myself to finishing the fic cuz I hate leaving things unfinished. Hopefully I'll be able to wrap it up soon, or at least before season 3 starts. =P

Disclaimer: Don't own Teen Wolf or anyone in it. If I did, I'd be busy having way too much fun doing _other stuff_. ^_~ (And I woulda made Colton stay.)

* * *

**Bonded by Fate**

**Chapter 5**

Jackson bolted up in bed. The sun was coming up on the horizon but he didn't remember getting into bed the night before. In fact, he couldn't remember anything that happened after he had driven off the afternoon before, leaving Derek standing on his front steps.

He realized that he must have had another blackout. Jackson ran his palms over his face as his mind raced thinking of everything that could have happened, everything that he could have done the night before.

Jumping out of bed, Jackson rushed to get out of the house. After arriving to school, he wondered to himself why he even bothered going to school when it all seemed pointless. He could barely concentrate and he was always tense since he never knew when the next blackout would occur. The only reason he could think of was that it got him out of the house.

Things are even worse now that he found out what his parents had been hiding from him practically all his life. He had no idea what to do.

Part of him wanted to confront his parents and demand the truth from them, but another part of him was afraid of what they might say. Part of him wanted to tell Derek everything and ask his advice, and yet another part of him scoffed at himself that Derek wouldn't know anything or worse, probably wouldn't even care.

"-son. Jackson?"

Lost in his thoughts, Jackson didn't notice Lydia approaching him in the hallway until she called his name.

Startled, Jackson manages an, "Oh hi. Sorry, I was thinking about the chem quiz."

"Hey! I'll see you at the meet this afternoon? You're swimming your usual program, right?" Lydia asks.

Jackson blinks. He had been so preoccupied he had completely forgotten about the swim meet that day. "Oh yeah. Yeah, I am. I'll see you," Jackson covers and quickly walks away before she could say more.

* * *

Scott and Stiles were walking down the hall after the last bell rang when they spotted Allison.

"So, are you two still on the fritz?" Stiles asks gingerly.

"I guess, I don't know. I was upset the other night and I yelled at her and now I guess she's mad about that. I don't know," Scott replies miserably.

"Well maybe you'll find out now, since she's coming over to us," Stiles whispers and then exclaims, "Hey Allison!" as she reached them.

"Hey guys. I was just wondering if you were going to the swim meet after school. Lydia's going and she's dragging me with her. I think part of her still wants to cheer for Jackson even after everything."

"Wait. Jackson's swimming today? Are you sure? I mean, isn't he or at least the guy controlling him afraid of water?" Stiles wonders.

"Well, he and the kanima are like two separate entities inhabiting one body. So I guess unless the guy controlling him is planning on making him turn, he should be ok…" Scott shrugs.

"Ugghh," Stiles groans. "So, I guess we're gonna have to go too, huh? Never know what could happen. At least I'll be near _her_."

Scott nods absentmindedly and the trio walks to the pool and spots Lydia in the bleachers, having staked out the best seat. As they made their way up to her, Scott noticed Isaac and Erica sitting in the back row of the bleachers.

Nudging Stiles, Scott asks, "What do you think they're doing here? Do you think Derek sent them to keep an eye on Jackson?"

Shrugging, Stiles replies, "Probably. It's not as if they're suddenly overflowing with school spirit or anything."

As they sat down, the announcer began welcoming everyone and introducing the schools participating that day.

* * *

Jackson got out of the water and pumped his fist, absolutely elated. Despite everything, he had just broken another district record. And this was after winning each of his other events. Things were certainly looking up today. Maybe things were taking a turn for the better.

As he waved at the crowd and heard the cheers, it seemed like everything was back to normal. He spotted a flash of red hair and saw Lydia in the stands cheering for him.

A slight smile began to grow on his face, but then faltered when he saw who was sitting with her. Scott, Stiles and Allison were the last people he needed to see. Pulling his line of sight away from them, he changed his mind when he spotted Isaac and Erica. He definitely needed to see those two even less, as they were a direct reminder of who he was now suddenly related to.

His high from winning abruptly dissipated, but Jackson forced himself to keep a smile on his face as he walked past Matt taking pictures for the newspaper or yearbook or whatever publication the dork was on.

Having finished his program, Jackson headed for the locker room to shower before the medals ceremony. But just after he reached the locker room, terror suddenly gripped him and then he felt nothing.

* * *

"Well, Jackson sure had a good day," Stiles said, annoyed. "Even with all the crap that's been going on he still wins everything and even sets two new records."

"I know. And I don't think he was using any extra strength either. Otherwise he probably could have turned into the best swimmer in the world," Scott added.

"What extra strength are you talking about? Jackson does not and has never used steroids," Lydia defends Jackson vehemently, still in the dark about everything.

"That's not what they meant. And they were just joking. Right, guys?" Allison arches a brow.

Suddenly people were gasping and a splash was heard. Looking down, they saw that somehow, Matt had either slipped or was 'helped' into the pool.

The few swimmers who were still on the pool deck laughed and remained where they were.

After watching Matt splash around for a few seconds, Scott realized something. "Hey, I don't think he can swim. Look, he's sinking."

Scott got up and moved to go help Matt, when suddenly Jackson came bursting back onto the pool deck and dove in and helped Matt out of the pool.

After they got out, everyone started clapping and cheering for Jackson. Only Scott was still looking at Matt as he seethed, face turning red.

"Dude, that was so weird. I thought Jackson went to the locker room. How would he know that Matt needed help?" Stiles asked.

"Stiles, look. Matt's totally pissed and Jackson's got a blanked out look on his face," Scott murmured.

As they continued looking, Matt's hand began to form into a fist and looking at Jackson, Scott saw claws slowly beginning to form.

"Shit, he's the guy controlling Jackson. It's Matt!" Scott whispered urgently to Stiles.

"Uhh…ok…this is bad. He's totally pissed. We're doomed. We're gonna be reptile food," Stiles moans.

"Allison! Go ask Matt if he's ok!" Scott exclaimed, going on a hunch and hoping he wasn't sending her to her doom.

"What? Why?" Allison asked.

"Just do it! He likes you and you're the only one who can keep him calm. I'll explain later!" Scott urged her, desperate to calm Matt down and hopefully keep Jackson from turning and killing everyone around him.

Hearing the urgency in Scott's voice, Allison quickly made her way down the bleachers, calling out to Matt on her way down. "Matt! Oh my gosh, Matt!"

"Matt, are you ok? You're soaked! Someone get a towel!" Allison grabbed a towel that was handed to her and wrapped Matt in it. "Are you ok?" She asked again. "What happened?"

"One of those idiot swimmers pushed me in while I was trying to get a picture. I…I can't swim," Matt tells Allison, the red starting to drain from his face at her presence and attention.

Allison notices that Jackson turned abruptly and rapidly walked off the pool deck when she got to Matt.

"Oh my gosh. What a jerk! Well, you're really lucky Jackson was still hanging out by the pool. I thought he'd gone to the locker room already. It was pretty awesome of him to just dive in and help you. I definitely didn't expect that from him," Allison casually mentions.

Looking nervous, Matt forces a grin and replies, "Yeah, I guess he's just full of surprises."

Rubbing the towel up and down Matt's arms, Allison prompts him, "If you need to talk about anything, I'm here for you."

Watching the scene unfold up in the bleachers, Scott heaves a big sigh. "Thank God."

"Yeah," Stiles agreed. "It would have been really bad if Jackson had turned half the audience to human sushi."

Scott made a face, "Thanks for the description Stiles." Then he jumps up when he notices that Erica and Isaac were gone. "Where did Erica and Isaac go? No, no, no. Please don't tell me they went after Jackson."

Stiles gets up and they begin to make their way down the bleachers.

"Where do you think you're going?" A voice demands from behind.

They turn to see Lydia standing with her hands on her hips.

"I can't believe Allison ran down to talk to…whoever his name is, you guys are not abandoning me by myself," Lydia ordered.

"Look, we gotta go. We uh…we have…detention!" Was Stiles' excuse.

"Detention, really? Then why were you guys here?" Lydia asked skeptically.

"Well the teacher said we could either come here and cheer on the swim team, show some school spirit and then finish the last hour after the meet, or spend the entire time stuck in a room. What do you think we picked?" Stiles bs'ed.

"Whatever," Lydia huffs and sits back down to wait for Allison.

Scott and Stiles rushes to the locker room and sees Erica waiting in the hallway.

"What are you doing here? Where's Isaac?" Scott asks frantically.

Erika gives them a coy smile and shrugs just as the door opens and Isaac walks out.

Ignoring Scott and Stiles, he says to Erica, "He's fine. In the shower and back to his normal douchey self."

"Oh, thank God," Erica sighs with relief, then warns, "And don't call him that again…at least not in front of Derek."

"Why would he care?" Isaac asks looking confused.

"Why are you guys checking up on Jackson? Is Derek planning something? He promised he wouldn't kill Jackson," Scott says agitatedly.

"Chill out. Derek's just being a little more proactive about knowing where Jackson is and what his state of mind is," Erica replies nonchalantly. But, Scott can sense that she might be hiding something. Turning to Isaac, she says, "Come on let's go," and they walk down the hallway.

"Do you believe her?" Stiles asks. "Or do you think Derek's up to something."

"I don't know. I didn't sense that Jackson was in danger, but I think Erica was hiding something," Scott replies.

"Do you wanna check on him?" Stiles gestures to the door.

Scott opens it and answers, "Yeah, just to make sure he's ok."

Jackson wasn't in the changing area when then entered, but there was steam coming from the showers. They walked over and saw Jackson leaning against the tiled wall. Sensing their presence, he looks up.

"Uhh…hey! Are you ok?" Stiles asks awkwardly.

"Why wouldn't I be? And what are you losers doing here?" Jackson asks.

"Well, just cuz you know, you saved Matt from drowning just now," Scott tells him.

Eyes lighting up in surprise, Jackson frowns. "What are you…? So that's what Lahey was –" Then catching himself, he continues, "Yeah, whatever. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to finish showering without an audience. Unless you're both that desperate to look at abs neither of you will ever have."

Glaring at Jackson, Scott grabs Stiles' arm and drags him back out to the hallway. "Well, Isaac was right, he is back to his douchey self. But I don't think he knew that he saved Matt."

"Yeah, I got that feeling too," Stiles agrees.

Scott continues, "What we really need to do now is find out how Matt managed to gain control of Jackson and how to stop him from turning Jackson into the kanima again. But first let's go talk to Allison and see if she got anything out of him."

Stiles nods and adds, "Hey, on the plus side, at least we know now that it's Matt controlling him. Maybe Dr. D will know what to do."

As they walked down the hallway, neither of them noticed Gerard Argent standing around the corner, having heard every single word.

Early next morning, Matt's body was discovered in the creek at the edge of the woods.

* * *

A/N: Yes…Matt had to die here too…After all, he can't live while knowing Jackson's secret. =D

And in case anyone didn't know, we'll soon be able to see Colton on Arrow...recurring status only, but at least that's something...though I'd still rather he have stayed on TW so we can see him every week... ok, so I guess I'm not completely over it yet...

Reviews would be greatly appreciated. =)


	6. Chapter 6

Hi all! Did anyone watch Arrow last night (Feb 20, 2013)?! Colton made his debut on the show and looked as hot as ever. I have to admit, when I saw him, I gasped for joy. ^_^;; And I found his character's attitude to be really similar to Jackson…can't wait for Roy to meet OQ. Already imagining the two of them training shirtless together! XD They are def two of the hottest guys on tv ever. Here's hoping he stays for the long haul and makes series regular next season…unless he goes back to TW (and Derek). =D

Anyway…seeing him spurred me on…so here's the next chappy.

Disclaimer: Don't own Teen Wolf or anyone in it. If I did, I'd be busy having way too much fun doing _other stuff_. ^_~

* * *

**Bonded by Fate**

**Chapter 6**

Jackson sat up in bed and ran his palms over his face. He was exhausted. Not only had he blacked out at school, but he found himself standing stark naked near the edge of the woods after midnight for no apparent reason. He had stolen some clothes off the first clothesline he saw and rushed home and spent the rest of the night wracking his mind over the fact that he couldn't remember saving Matt the afternoon before. When he had gone back to the pool for the medals ceremony, everyone was applauding and cheering his "heroism."

At least the fact that everyone was calling him a hero meant that no one had ended up dead. And while that was a relief to know, Jackson couldn't understand why he would save Matt. He barely knew the guy and couldn't care less about him. And then there was the blackout that happened just last night to think about. But he hadn't been covered in blood or anything so he was hopeful that nothing much had happened then as well.

He had originally thought that the kanima killed people randomly; whoever was unlucky enough to cross its path. 'After all, that was the only explanation for why it would have gone after Danny, wasn't it?' Jackson thought to himself. But now that the kanima saved Matt, Jackson couldn't help but wonder if it had an agenda of its own. Something had to be going on. Why else would Scott and Isaac both corner him in the locker room last night?

Getting out of bed, Jackson contemplated going to Scott and asking him about what he knew, since he clearly knew about the kanima and seemed to know more about it than Jackson. Scott and his friends were probably looking into whatever was going on and were probably comparing notes with Derek. Besides, Scott was definitely the safer option to talk to at this point. Jackson even flirted with the idea of confiding his recent discoveries of long lost familial relations with Scott before mentally crossing that idea out. It was still way too fresh and way too out there to share with anyone yet.

When Jackson went downstairs, both of his parents were already in the kitchen. And he could feel that there was some tension in the air.

"Morning," Jackson muttered, still feeling awkward and wondering how he should act with them.

"Good morning son," his father greeted him.

"Hi sweetie," his mother said, putting down a plate of food in front of him as he sat down.

There was an awkward silence from his parents before his father cleared his throat and said, "Jackson, there's some unfortunate news we heard this morning."

Jackson's heartbeat picked up. "Ok? Uhh…what?"

"Do you know a boy named Matthew Collins?" His mother asked. "He went to your school."

"Matthew Collins? Uhh…I don't –" Jackson stammered before something clicked. It had to be Matt; it couldn't be a coincidence. "Uhhh…yeah, but I think he just went by Matt."

"Ah, that's right. He's the boy you saved last night at the swim meet, isn't he?" His father asked.

"Umm…yeah. Why? What's going on?" Jackson asked, a deep sense of foreboding curling in the pit of his stomach.

"I'm so sorry, but he's dead. His body was found this morning," his father said gently.

"What?! No, wait, he can't be dead!" Jackson said, jumping out from his seat in a panic. A thought immediately ran through his mind, 'Oh my God. I killed him! I still ended up killing someone.'

Not knowing about the tumultuous events happening to him, his parents thankfully came to another conclusion on their own. "I'm so sorry sweetie, I didn't know you boys were such good friends," his mother wrapped her arms around him before adding, "I wish we could have met him. He seemed like a nice boy. And to die so tragically."

"How – how – how did he die?" Jackson asked, expecting them to say that Matt's body was torn apart by a wild animal, by _him_.

"No one knows exactly how it happened, but he was found by some joggers in the woods. He was lying in the little creek that runs through it. The police say it appears that he drowned," his father told him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Jackson sighed and slumped back into his seat, closing his eyes in relief. Matt drowned. It wasn't him.

Again, his parents misunderstood his reaction, believing him to be in shock. "Are you alright?" His mother asked gingerly, hugging him again. "Do you need anything? We'll do anything to help you get through this."

With the crisis averted, Jackson remembered what they had been hiding from him and stiffened, pulling out from his mother's embrace. "I'm fine. Just need some time to myself. I'll let you know if I need anything." He left the kitchen and went back to his room, closing the door behind him.

"What the hell happened?" Jackson wondered out loud. Thoughts blurred through his mind. Could it be a coincidence? He saves Matt and then that same night Matt drowns in the creek? He couldn't remember for sure, but thought the creek only had like a foot of water in it, if even that. How could Matt have drowned? Then a dark thought hit Jackson. What if Matt had "help" drowning? And if he did have help, who would have wanted Matt dead? And was it somehow connected to him?

With all the questions swimming in his head, Jackson determined that he had to get some answers. He resolved to confront his parents with his findings and to get Scott to tell him everything he knew about the kanima. As for Derek…one crises at a time.

* * *

Derek paced through the woods still digesting the fact that Jackson was his cousin. He had so many questions of his own swimming in his head, even more since Erica and Isaac had shown up last night after the swim meet with some disturbing and revealing news.

_Flashback to the night before_

"Wait, Jackson saved who? Who's Matt?" Derek asked in confusion. He had never heard of this Matt before.

Erica nods, "Yeah, it was really weird. Jackson was pretty normal for the meet. Won everything, set records, blah blah blah. Then he leaves the pool, I'm guessing to the locker room and a couple minutes later, some guy from another school's swim team bumps or pushes Matt into the pool. And within seconds, Jackson runs back and just dives in and pulls Matt out."

"How did he know Matt was in trouble?" Boyd asked, having come over as well after his shift at the ice rink.

"No idea," Erica shakes her head. "But it got weirder after they got out of the pool. Matt was looking way pissed off and Jackson had that blank look on his face when he's…you know what."

"And I don't think anyone else noticed except for Scott, but his claws were definitely on the verge of full release," Isaac added.

Derek closed his eyes and ran a hand over his face. "Did he attack anyone?"

"No, thank God. Scott realized what was happening and got Allison to distract Matt and then Jackson just took off," Erica answered.

"And when I talked to him in the locker room, he had no idea he had even left it," Isaac finished.

"So he didn't know he saved this guy? Did you tell him?" Derek looked at Isaac.

"I didn't come right out and say it. Just went in there to see if he was turning or not. When I saw he was ok, I left," Isaac replied.

"So Matt gets in danger, Jackson saves him. Matt gets angry, Jackson starts to turn. This Matt guy is the one controlling the kanima," Derek surmises. "How did no one have any clue?"

"No idea," Erica shrugged. "Honestly, Matt was the last person I'd have guessed. I mean, that time when Jackson turned in the library, it was Matt who ended up in the hospital."

"Unless he made the kanima attack him to throw off suspicion," Derek points out.

"Ok, so now what?" Erica asked, noting the dangerous gleam that had formed in Derek's eyes.

"Now, I'm going to confirm that Matt really is controlling Jackson. And when I do, Matt dies," Derek states without hesitation.

_End flashback_

Derek had told his pack that he was going to kill Matt once he got proof for himself that Matt was controlling Jackson. And he meant it. He also knew that Scott probably wouldn't like it. But this time Derek wasn't going to let Scott have a say.

Matt was controlling Jackson, using him to kill people. And he had killed that woman at the hospital himself. Derek had agreed to try to save Jackson back then because he knew that Jackson wasn't in control of himself and didn't know what he was doing and Derek had felt partially responsible for the state he was in. But the same couldn't be said for Matt. He had a lot of blood on his hands. Whatever his reason was for killing those people, he had to be stopped. And now that Jackson is family, there was nothing Derek wouldn't do to free him from Matt's control. Nothing.

Derek resolved to talk to Jackson that day about everything. Maybe once Jackson knew the truth, Matt would no longer have a hold over him.

It was early afternoon when Derek walked back to the edge of town. He pulled his phone out and saw that he had several missed calls from Erica and Scott.

Figuring they were calling about Matt, Derek called Scott back to find out what he knew.

"Where have you been? I've been calling you for ages," Scott griped.

"I took a walk in the woods. I had a lot to think about and didn't have any reception," Derek responded. "I take it that you figured out that it was Matt who was controlling the kanima, too?"

"Yeah, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," Scott said with an urgent note in his voice. "I don't know what the hell happened, but Matt –"

"He's dead, Scott," Derek interjected. "And I don't want to hear you argue for him. He used Jackson to kill all those people and even took it upon himself to kill someone. Whatever you have to say, save it. It won't make a difference, because he's dead."

"Oh my God. You're the one who killed him?!" Scott exclaimed. "I can't believe you'd do it without even talking to me about it. What am I saying, of course you'd do it without telling me cuz you know that I –"

"Wait – what? I haven't done anything yet. That murderer is still alive. I'm just saying he's as good as dead," Derek clarified.

"Wait, you didn't do anything? You don't know?" Scott asked.

"Know what?" Derek asked in response.

"Matt's not alive. He's dead. Someone killed him last night. Stiles said his dad got the call just after dawn," Scott informs Derek.

"What? Was it the kanima? Where's Jackson?" Derek asked rapidly, worried for Jackson's state of mind. Although if the kanima did turn on Matt, it would certainly save Derek the trouble of dirtying his hands.

"I'm pretty sure it wasn't Jackson," Scott said. "Stiles said Matt drowned in the creek at the edge of the woods. Some people found him early this morning. How come you didn't know about it? I thought you had been there all night."

"I was pretty deep in there. But I wasn't near the creek. I did hear sirens earlier this morning, but I just assumed it was somewhere near the edge of town," Derek said. "How can he drown in the creek, there's just over a foot of water in it."

"Umm…I think I heard somewhere that you can drown in an inch of water," Scott claims. "That's not the issue. The issue is that I think he had help, cuz you're right, the likely hood that he'd fall face first or whatever into the creek and be unable to get up is slim to none."

"I want him dead, but it wasn't me," Derek maintained. "Who else could want him dead? Do you know if anyone else knows that he was controlling the kanima?"

"No idea, but Jackson should be free now, right? With Matt dead, he shouldn't turn into the kanima anymore," Scott said hopefully.

"Jackson's free from Matt, but he's still the kanima. Someone else could become his new master," Derek responded. "We need to get to him first. And actually, I was going to go find him today."

"You're not gonna hurt him though right? You promised," Scott asserts.

"Of course I won't, he's –" Derek halted, deciding to keep Jackson's true parentage to himself for now. "It doesn't matter; everything he did was Matt's fault."

"I found out why he did it," Scott said quietly. "He told Allison about something bad that happened to him a few years back." Scott then proceeds to tell Derek the sob story of how Matt had been picked on by a previous swim team and almost drowned when he was pushed into a pool.

"So because one stupid idiot pushes him in a pool and the other idiots laugh at him, he gets to have all those people killed? Give me a break," Derek scoffs unsympathetically. "Look, all I care about is that Jackson is no longer being controlled. At least for now. So I need to get to him before something else happens, and stop worrying about him. I won't hurt a hair on his head. You just try and find out if someone else knew about Matt and the kanima. Maybe it was that vet you work for."

"It's definitely not him. He wouldn't kill anyone," Scott insisted. "But I'll go talk to him anyway, since he did know about the kanima, maybe he can find out if someone else knew as well."

They hang up and Derek turns an ear toward the creek and concentrates on listening. Sure enough, there were still a few officers on scene looking for clues as to what might have happened. They suspected foul play because there was bruising around Matt's neckline indicating he was held under water.

Disturbed, Derek headed back to his new "home", wondering if Jackson knew about Matt. He needed to think of how he was going to approach Jackson. Instinct told him Jackson may have found out something, but he couldn't be sure if he did or how much he might know. Derek needed to think things through and figure out what he was going to say to make Jackson listen to and trust him. After all, their relationship, or complete lack thereof, was the furthest thing from warm and fuzzy.

* * *

A/N: I couldn't find Matt's last name so I made one up. Did the show even give him one? And does anyone know where exactly where it is that Derek was staying in season 2? I see the train car (or bus?), but is it an abandoned station or a warehouse that it's being stored in? I'm a stickler for details and it's really bugging me. x_x

And I know that many people are anticipating some interaction between Derek and Jackson and I'm really sorry that there hasn't been any for these last few, but they haven't been able to figure out how to approach each other about the subject yet... Next chapter, I promise…so stay tuned!

Reviews would be greatly appreciated. =)


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks for the reviews everyone!

Here's a nice long chappy...I think it's 1000 words longer than usual... =)

Disclaimer: Don't own Teen Wolf or anyone in it. If I did, I'd be busy having way too much fun doing _other stuff_. ^_~

* * *

**Bonded by Fate**

**Chapter 7**

Derek finally worked up the nerve and decided on an acceptable approach to talk to Jackson. Looking outside, he saw that it was almost sundown. As he grabbed his keys, his phone rang. Derek grudgingly looked at it. It was Scott again. He had thought that he had satisfied Scott's incessant questions and demands. Derek debated letting it go to voice mail, but decided against it and answered. He regretted it immediately.

"What the hell did you do to Allison's mom?!" Scott shouted without preamble.

Shit. Derek had wondered when that unfortunate development would rear its ugly head. "You're welcome for saving your life, Scott," he replied dryly.

Scott huffed, "Allison just called me and she was totally freaked out. She said someone had attacked her mom the night of the rave and that it was a werewolf. And the only werewolves who saw her that night were me and you, Derek. And it sure as hell wasn't me who bit her. What the hell happened?"

"Calm down Scott. She was trying to kill you and when I went to save you, she wouldn't let me take you without a fight. And during that, I accidentally bit her," Derek explained calmly as if he were talking about the weather instead of biting the mother of the girl Scott loved.

"Are you crazy?! You _accidentally_ bit her? How does that even happen?" Scott asked incredulously.

"Easy, you idiot," Derek retorted, having run out of patience. "When we fight, we rely on our senses and instincts and even if we don't really want to, sometimes, our instincts want us to use our bite as a weapon. Especially alphas. You were in danger. It was life or death and it just happened. There's nothing we can do about it except move forward."

"Move forward? That's all you have to say?" Scott didn't understand why Derek was behaving so nonchalantly. "Don't you realize that Allison might turn on us? And of course the Argents are gonna come down full force for sure."

Derek sighed, "You mean you're afraid Allison will turn on _you_. Don't you remember me telling you more than once that it wouldn't have worked between you two anyway? And we've always had to deal with hunters. It's not the first time one of them has been bitten. They chose to hunt us so they'll have to live with any repercussions."

"How can you say that?" Scott asked. "We have to do something. We have to help her."

"How can _you_ say that Scott?" Derek countered. "Why do you always have to save everyone? I get you wanting to save Jackson since he didn't have control of what he had been doing and never actively tried to kill you, but Allison's mom did. And she probably wouldn't have had any regrets about it had she succeeded."

"She was – she was just trying to – to do what she thought best for…for Allison…" Scott finished with a sputter. "I can still worry for Allison's sake, ok? I'm gonna go over there to check it out."

"Don't even think about it!" Derek ordered. "Do you know what they'll do to you if they see you? Hello? Scott!" But Scott had already hung up.

Groaning, Derek rushed out to his car trying to decide if he should go find Jackson as he had planned, or go to the Argents in case Scott needed help.

As if there actually was a choice, Derek thought to himself. Scott should know the danger he would be in and would be stupid if he actually went to the Argents. But then again, they were after Derek and might not necessarily hurt Scott, especially since Allison must still care about him. Jackson on the other hand did need him.

Derek dialed Stiles' number and when Stiles answered told him, "Scott is going to the Argents and you know that is a really bad idea. You need to call him right now and talk him out of it."

"I cannot believe that you bit Allison's mom," came Stiles' response.

"Really? I tell you Scott's in danger and that's what you say? Just call him and convince him not to go. And if he insists on being an idiot and going, you need to get your ass over there because at this point, you're the only one out of all of us that they might actually have an issue with hurting," Derek said quickly.

"But if the guns come out, wouldn't it be better for him if you were there too?" Stiles asked.

"I'm the one they'll really be after. If I show up, they're likely to shoot first and ask questions later. Besides, I have to take care of something. Just do it Stiles." Derek hung up before Stiles could respond, shifted his car into gear and sped to Jackson's house.

* * *

Jackson had been alternating between pacing around his room and flopping on his bed for hours as he tried to think of how to broach the subject with his parents. His head was hurting and his hands were clammy from all the nervous anticipation.

Finally he decided that the direct approach might be the best. If he asked outright, his parents might not have time to hide any reactions or come up with lies. Especially where his father was concerned, being one of the best lawyers in the county.

Since they told him about Matt's death, neither of them had left the house. It was now or never. Taking a deep breath, Jackson steeled his nerves and left his room.

* * *

Jackson was upstairs when Derek pulled up to the house. Derek could hear him moving around and he was clearly agitated and nervous about something. The Whittemores were both downstairs and Derek debated between ringing the doorbell and asking to speak with Jackson, or calling him and asking him to come out, or simply letting himself in via Jackson's bedroom window.

The choice was taken from him as he heard Jackson rapidly descend the stairs and head towards the back of the house. Crouching down, Derek walked around to the side of the house and caught a glimpse of Jackson approaching his parents before ducking under the window sill.

He heard Jackson toss something on the kitchen counter and tell them, "I know the truth about my birth parents. How they died and more importantly, who they were."

Derek's breath caught in his throat. He had been right, but he still had a hard time believing what he was hearing. So were the Whittemores, it seemed.

After a pause, Mrs. Whittemore responded first, "What do you mean? You know that they gave you up for adoption. It was a closed adoption and we didn't even meet them."

Hearing the trembling and uncertainty in her voice, Derek knew she was lying and so did Jackson.

"I only knew what you told me back then. And now I know that what you told me were lies. So stop lying to me!" Jackson shouted as he slammed his palms on a counter top.

After another pause, Mr. Whittemore asked calmly, "Alright, what is it exactly that you think you know son?" He was going into lawyer mode, walls coming down so he can work out the situation and do damage control.

Knowing it was probably a bad idea, but unable to stop himself, Derek crept across the grass and crouched under the shadow of a tree so he could watch what was unfolding in the house between Jackson and his adoptive parents.

"What do I know? I know everything! I know that my father was a Hale and they died in a car accident and that my real relatives never even knew I existed. Why? What was the point?" Jackson had tried to stay firm but his voice cracked at the last, betraying his true feelings.

"Sweetheart, I don't know where you got that idea from but –," Mrs. Whittemore started to deny it, but then Jackson picked up a large enveloped and dumped the contents onto the counter.

"This is where I got the idea from. And it's not an idea, it's the truth. Newspaper articles, insurance reports, a birth certificate, adoption papers," Jackson said angrily, picking up pieces of paper as he called them out. Then his face crumbled for a second and biting his quivering lip, he fought to keep his composure but couldn't stop a single tear from escaping his eye.

Derek realized that his own lower lip was trembling slightly. He felt guilty that he was invading their privacy, especially knowing how utterly embarrassed Jackson would be if he knew Derek was watching, but he couldn't force himself to leave. And he wanted desperately to look at those papers Jackson had in his hands.

"Where did you get those? You did not have permission to go into the safe," Mr. Whittemore said.

"I figured I should take them before you got rid of them or hid them somewhere else," Jackson said. "Just tell me the truth, please," he pleaded.

"Tell him David. He has the right to know," Mrs. Whittemore looked at him with tears welling up in her own eyes.

With a sigh, Mr. Whittemore relented, "Alright. It's true. Your birth parents didn't give you up. And yes, your biological father's last name was Hale."

Jackson fell forward a bit, Derek wasn't sure if it was relief at finally hearing the truth or something else. Then Jackson straightened and said, "I want to know everything."

Nodding slowly, his father started to reveal a past that had been buried for over a decade. "Jacob Hale, Jake, was my best friend growing up. Janice, your biological mother, moved here from Colorado during our senior year in high school. It was love at first sight and they got engaged right after graduation. Jake's father disapproved of Jan and refused to give them his blessing. Jake had always had a difficult relationship with his father. He was very demanding and they never really got along. So they left town. We were barely able to keep in touch; they seemed to be always on the move and the internet wasn't exactly around back then."

"A few years later, after I married your mom, they just showed up at our door one night with you," he continued. "I didn't even know they had a child, and they asked us to watch you, said that they were in trouble and I was the only one Jake would trust."

"Wait, what do you mean in trouble? Like the police?" Jackson asked, confused.

The same question echoed through Derek's head followed by another. 'Why would uncle Jake trust the Whittemores over his own family?' He wondered, unconsciously moving closer to the window.

"No," Mr. Whittemore replied. "They returned to Beacon Hills to warn Jake's family. They said that someone was after them or looking for something from them and that they weren't safe."

"Safe?" Jackson interrupted. "Safe from what?"

"I don't know," his father answered. "I don't know, but whatever it was, they were terrified. I understood that Jake had to warn his family, but we tried convincing Jan to stay with us, with you, but they said that 'they' knew about her, but not you."

"'They?' 'They' who?" Jackson asked, even knowing what the answer would be.

The reply was the same, "I don't know, but they couldn't take the chance that whoever was after them would find out about you. They also asked if we would take care of you, raise you, in case anything ever happened to them and even provided the necessary legal paperwork. And their one stipulation was that no matter what happened, we were to never let the Hales know about you and to keep you safe. It was as if they thought of everything and was anticipating that –"

SNAP! Derek heard the twig break as if it were as loud as thunder roaring through a stormy night. He looked up and saw Jackson looking straight at him, face completely blanched. Then Jackson turned and ran out of the kitchen.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Mrs. Whittemore called after him. Derek thanked whatever greater power was out there that Jackson's parents didn't see him.

"Fuck!" Derek hissed. He was so enthralled by the reveal that he didn't even notice he had been moving. He took off towards the front of the house just in time to see Jackson run out the door. "Jackson! We need to talk –"

"What the hell are you doing here?! What did you hear?!" Jackson shouted, shoving at him. Derek could hear his heart racing.

Derek grabbed Jackson's arm. "Look, I already knew about you and I –"

"You knew? You…you…knew… Oh God," Jackson gasped. "I – I can't – I have to get out of here." Jackson tried to pull away.

Derek tightened his grip. "Wait, look I know and I don't care about any –"

Jackson pushed Derek away before he could finish and got in his car; taking off before Derek could react.

"Aghhh… Fuck!" Derek groaned, clenching his fists. He jumped in his car and took off after Jackson but slowed after a few blocks. Maybe he should let Jackson calm down a bit and try calling him later to arrange a meeting. He turned his car towards the woods; he could use some calming down too.

After driving around for about a half hour, his phone rang again. Pulling it out, he saw that it was Scott…again. "What?!" Derek ground out. "If you're in some kind of deep shit with the Argents because you were stupid enough to go there, you are on your own. I'm busy with –"

"Jackson! It's about Jackson!" Scott interrupted. "You're gonna be glad I went to the Argents. I think… Anyway, you won't believe what I just found out."

Hearing Jackson's name, Derek stopped his car and gave Scott his undivided attention, "What about Jackson?"

"Are you sitting down? You should sit down," Scott suggested anxiously.

"I'm sitting!" Derek shouted impatiently.

"Ok, I was gonna go to Allison's room, but then Gerard told Allison's dad to gather all their guys. He wanted them to go out and look for Jackson, but not to approach him, just to call back if someone found him," Scott said.

While that was a bit disturbing, Derek didn't find the news extremely urgent. "What's your point? So they're looking for him, I'm sure they're looking for me and you and any other werewolf."

"That's not it. After their goons leave Gerard tells Allison's dad something. And I don't know how he found out and how it was even kept secret for so long, but it's really bad. Although I guess there's a silver lining," Scott babbled.

"What the fuck?! Get to the point!" Derek snapped.

"He said that he found out Jackson's really a Hale!" Scott exclaimed.

Silence…Derek couldn't believe it. He could hear Scott anxiously calling his name asking if Derek heard him. "How…how did they find out?" Derek managed to ask.

"He didn't say, but this changes things right?" Scott asked. "I mean, Jackson's related to you. I'm not sure how, but –"

"He's my cousin," Derek said quietly. "I already knew."

"What?" Scott exhaled. "Seriously? Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because it wasn't your business," Derek retorted. He takes a deep breath. "Look, I didn't know how to deal with it and wanted to talk to Jackson first." He turned his car around and headed back towards town. It was probably a good idea to find Jackson sooner rather than later.

"Yeah, I get it," Scott empathized. "So are you ok with… Hang on, I think I hear Gerard on the phone."

"You're still there?" Derek asked.

"Yeah," Scott replied. "I figured it would be better to hang around in case they found Jackson. I'm with Stiles a block away from the house."

"You're with Stiles? I'm surprised he hasn't butted in with his babbling yet," Derek smirked.

"Uh, I think he's still stunned by everything," Scott said distractedly, listening intently to Gerard's conversation. "Wait. Derek, Jackson's at the cemetery. Why's he at the cemetery? Shit! The Argents are loading up to go after him!"

"Fuck!" Derek hit the gas all the way and told Scott, "Go there now! And call Erica and tell her to get there with the guys right away!" Speeding towards the cemetery, Derek prayed that he got there before the Argents did.

* * *

"Derek knows. He knows. How did he find out? Had he known all along?" The thoughts blurred through Jackson's mind as he drove aimlessly. Why was Derek at his house tonight? It didn't matter, because Derek didn't care. Jackson was shocked when he saw Derek outside and he didn't know what to think, but he should have known. He had thought as much. And then Derek confirmed it. He didn't care that Jackson was related to him.

"I know and I don't care." The words lanced through Jackson and he could hear Derek saying it over and over and over. He had taken off as soon as he heard the words. He didn't know why it hurt so much. It shouldn't because it wasn't as if they got along in the first place.

Jackson slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a screeching halt. He had been so distracted by his inner turmoil that he didn't even realize where he had been going until he arrived at the cemetery gates. It was then that he remembered from one of the articles that his parents were buried in the Hale family plot. He must have wanted to come here subconsciously ever since. Except he had no idea where the Hale family plot was.

Shaking, he got out of the car. It was just past dusk and night was quickly approaching. He opened the front hood, remembering that he had an emergency kit in there. As he pulled out the flashlight, he also saw the nearly full bottle of vodka lying on its side.

It had been weeks since Jackson had a drink. Even though he had been freaking out inside and had desperately wanted to, he had refrained because he didn't want to chance getting drunk and passing out and turning into that _thing_. But at that moment, he didn't care anymore. He was utterly alone and Derek didn't care. At least if he passed out and turned in the cemetery, all the people in the vicinity were already dead. Letting out a sardonic laugh, he grabbed the bottle and took a long swig.

With the familiar feel of alcohol burning its way through him, he headed inside.

* * *

Derek arrived at the cemetery and spotted Jackson's car parked haphazardly near the gate. There wasn't anyone else around. It occurred to Derek that as macabre as it was, it actually seemed natural and this would be the place where Jackson would go. After all, this is where his parents were.

Turning the car around, Derek drove around to the back, just in case the Argents showed up. Getting out of the car, he easily leaped over the wall and ran towards his family plot. When he arrived, Jackson was nowhere in sight.

"What the hell? Where is he?" Derek muttered under his breath.

Realizing that Jackson probably had no idea where his parents were actually buried, Derek took a deep breath and concentrated, picking up every sound in the cemetery. Zeroing in on Jackson's voice, he took off running.

"Where are you? Please tell me where you are," Derek could hear Jackson pleading in a slurred voice. "Please! I just want to see you."

As Derek reached Jackson, he could see Jackson had been crying. And he was clearly drunk, stumbling around, leaning over random headstones with a nearly empty bottle of booze in his hand.

"Jackson," Derek called out.

Hearing his voice, Jackson spun around, almost tripping over. "What 'r you doin' here?"

"I came to find you," Derek replied. "Come on, we have to get out of here. Now."

"No! Not goin' anywhere with you. I wanna see 'em. I wanna see…" Jackson stumbled, falling over, and Derek rushed over, hauling him up.

"We don't have time for that. The Argents are coming here now and we need to go! Come on!" Derek started dragging Jackson back to his car.

Unfortunately, Jackson was a lot stronger than he remembered and dragged his heels, refusing to go. "Leave me alone," he slurred. "You wanna go? Go! You dun care about me anyway and I dun need you. I wanna see 'em..."

Cursing, Derek whirled to face him. "If I didn't care, do you think I'd be here trying to save your pathetic ass?!" As soon as he said it, Derek regretted his words. It definitely wouldn't help the situation. "Look, I promise, I will come back with you another time. Ok? But it's not safe now. Jackson, are you listening to me?"

But Jackson wasn't looking at him and seemed distracted by something behind Derek. "Hey...I think I kno' 'em…"

Just then a shot rang out and Jackson crumpled to the ground.

* * *

Please don't hurt me! ::Runs away and hides:: At least they got to talk, ne? =P

It took me really long to work out how to write the scene where Jackson talks to his parents and Derek overhears them. I wanted to have both POV's, but it didn't seem possible without being repetitive or going back and forth every other paragraph, so I went with Derek's POV and getting him to sense the emotions etc coming from Jackson and the Whittemores. Hope I conveyed it enough…

Reviews would be greatly appreciated. =)


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks for the reviews everyone! And thanks for being patient...I know I am very bad in getting stuff posted.

Disclaimer: Don't own Teen Wolf or anyone in it. If I did, I'd be busy having way too much fun doing _other stuff_. ^_~

* * *

**Bonded by Fate**

**Chapter 8**

Derek stared in shock as Jackson curled up in pain on the ground, blood pouring out from a wound in his chest. Whipping his head around, he saw the Argents and their goons about a hundred yards away. He dropped down next to Jackson. "No, no, no. Jackson!" As Derek pressed a hand to Jackson's wound, he was so distracted that he didn't hear Gerard berating the hunter that fired the shot that hit Jackson.

Jackson was barely conscious, eyes rolling to the back of his head. He moaned in pain and gasped in shaky shallow breaths. He wasn't healing. Why wasn't he healing? There wasn't time to think about that now. The hunters were advancing on them and Derek had to get them out of there. Where the hell was Scott?

He pulled Jackson up and as carefully and quickly as he could, Derek hoisted him over his shoulder and started running towards his car. Derek could feel Jackson's blood soaking into his own clothes. The smell of it was almost overpowering and his wolf cried for release.

Derek could hear Jackson groan softly in pain with each jolt as Derek's feet hit the ground. He ran in a jagged zigzag as the Argents gave chase. But as fast as he was, as strong as he was, Derek knew that he couldn't out run or out fight bullets.

Then as if by divine intervention, Derek heard the roar of an engine. He turned his head and saw Stiles' jeep appear on the other side of the hunters. His pack jumped out, distracting the hunters, who clearly had not been expecting anyone else. They paused, unsure if they should continue after Derek and Jackson or go back and fight the werewolves that had just come onto the scene. Scott drove up next to the Argents' SUVs, where Gerard had remained, which forced the old man to dive out of the way.

Boyd motioned to Isaac and they each jumped into one of the SUVs and lucked out finding the keys in the ignition. They started the engines and drove towards the hunters, causing them to scatter to avoid being run over. Boyd and Isaac drove around corralling them away from Derek and Jackson, knocking down dozens of headstones along the way.

Erica caught up as Derek reached the section of wall he had parked behind. "Oh my God. That's a lot of blood," she cried in horror.

Derek tried to ignore what she said. "Help me get him over." She jumped onto the wall and after finding her balance, reached down and lifted Jackson up. Derek leapt over and took him from her and carried him to the car.

Erica reached for the passenger door and flipped the seat up, but then realizing the difficulty in having to drag Jackson into the back, pushed the seat as far back as she could and climbed in. "We should have had one of the guys drive over with an SUV. It would be a lot more comfortable."

Giving her a hard look, Derek gently deposited Jackson into her arms and she immediately pressed her hands on his chest. "Him getting shot wasn't exactly part of the plan," he said thru gritted teeth.

He dashed to the driver's side, brought the car to life and drove away.

When they got back, Derek and Erica quickly brought Jackson inside.

"He's still bleeding. Why isn't he healing?" Erica asked frantically. "I thought that he was able to heal. Didn't he get shot before?" She dashed to the train car.

"He had turned into the Kanima when he was shot before," Derek replied, running a hand nervously thru his hair. "It's almost like they're two separate entities. I don't think Jackson can heal in human form. The Kanima has all the power."

Erica ran back with some towels. "So…What are we going to do?"

Derek crouched down next to Jackson, who was barely breathing. He ripped open Jackson's shirt and pressed the towel Erica handed him firmly against the wound. "Jackson, can you hear me? Jackson! Please, if you can hear me, you need to turn. I know you weren't able to control it before, but you need to turn now so you can heal."

Looking at Derek wide-eyed, Erica exclaimed, "Are you crazy? You're telling him to turn?! If he turns into the Kanima, we'll be in danger. He's gonna try and kill us."

"If he stays like this, he'll die! If he turns, he'll heal. That's what's important. Whatever comes afterwards, any danger, is irrelevant at this point," Derek said vehemently.

"We should take him to the hospital! Why didn't we go there? Doesn't Scott's mom work there?" Erica asks.

"And that's exactly where the Argents will go," Derek rebuffed. "They'll be waiting for us. This is the only way. But you should go…just in case."

"No, I can't leave you guys alone," Erica responded. "But I'll go stand by the door…just in case. Keep a lookout. The others should be back any minute."

Derek barely heard her; he was so focused on Jackson. "Did you hear me, Jackson? You need to turn so you can heal. I don't care if you're the Kanima. We'll figure something out. I just want you to be ok." He took a shuddering breath. "I know we didn't get along before. God, that's the understatement of the year. But, none of that matters now. Because – because… we're family. You're the only family I've got. So you can't die." Derek's voice dropped to a whisper as he pleaded, "Please. Don't leave me alone."

Suddenly, Jackson gasped sharply and Derek could sense his body changing. Jackson was turning. Jumping up, Derek's entire body tensed and he prepared to flee from the Kanima if need be. He stared as scales slowly appeared on Jackson's arms and neck. The pattern started to move onto his face and down his torso. As it passed the wound, it slowly began to close.

"It's working, he's healing," Derek whispered to himself. Then he called out to Erica, "He's turning. You should go now!"

Suddenly, Jackson's body began to spasm and the scales started to recede.

"No! What's going on? Why is it stopping? Please, no," Derek uttered forlornly, thinking that Jackson had lost too much blood and was too far gone to even turn and heal himself.

Just as suddenly, Jackson arched his back and his eyes flew open and Derek found himself staring into all too familiar glowing blue eyes as his face changed and hair and fangs appeared. The sound of claws scraping against the floor could be heard.

"Hey, the guys are here! Are you ok?" Erica called down.

"He's turning…he's turning," Derek whispered.

Multiple sets of feet scrambled down the stairs.

"Are you guys ok?" Scott asked as he eye their bloodstained clothes, and then gasped, "Oh my God. He's turning into a wolf!"

"You see it too?" Derek asked, hardly able to believe his eyes.

"How? I thought he was the Kanima?" Isaac asked.

Erica whispered, "He probably started changing into the Kanima, but then stopped and started changing into a wolf. It's in his DNA…"

Boyd looked at her confused, "Wait, what? Like being a werewolf runs in his family?"

"Something like that," Erica shrugged and looked pointedly in Derek's direction.

Both Boyd and Isaac's mouths gaped open, completely surprised, having been kept out of the loop. They looked at each other, very confused about everything that was happening.

"Wait…so they're related? Jackson was born a wolf? How come he never turned before?" Isaac asked slowly.

"I thought it's cuz Derek bit him," Stiles blurted out.

"What?!" Erica exclaimed, that last bit being news to her as well. "I thought he was turning because you're related. Derek, did you bite him before or after you found out?"

"Long story. Shut up," Derek said, silencing them with an icy glare.

"So does Jackson know they're related? And that Derek knew?" Stiles asked quietly.

Erika noded, "Yup."

"The Kanima is a werewolf with no sense of identity," Scott recalled. "It will only change into a werewolf once it finds out who it really is. Now that Jackson knows about his real parents, that and Derek's acceptance has freed him to be what he was supposed to be."

Transformation complete, Jackson's flesh had knit itself back together until faint, pink skin appeared where the wound had been only moments before.

Having healed, the wolf withdrew until Jackson was human again. He groaned, "Uhhnnn… what's going on?" He tried to sit up, only to fall back down.

Derek rushed to his side and helped him sit up. "Easy there, you've been through a lot tonight."

"What the hell happened? Where am I?" Jackson ran a palm over his face. He looked up warily at the half dozen faces surrounding and staring at him.

Sensing Jackson's nervousness, Derek got up and stood between him and everyone else. "Thanks for your help, but I can take it from here."

"Ok, we'll make ourselves scarce," Erica nodded and motioned to the guys to leave.

"One more thing," Derek called out. "Stay alert ok. Don't let your guards down. We can't assume they'll lay low after what happened… What did happen by the way? After we left?"

Isaac smiled smugly, "We chased them around for a while more and took off. Left them stranded in cemetery."

"The SUVs? You didn't drive them here did you?" Derek inquired.

"Ditched them in the woods…and tipped them over," Boyd laughed. He and Isaac smirked, all too pleased with themselves.

Derek rolled his eyes at them, but can't help turning up one corner of his mouth.

Jackson watched in silence as everyone left, leaving him alone with Derek. There was a moment of awkward silence as neither really knew what to say now that they were no longer in danger and in Jackson's case, no longer drunk.

"Are you ok? Do you remember anything?" Derek asked tentatively.

"Umm…I kind of remember getting hurt…but not much else," Jackson replied hesitantly, looking at the floor. "You came to my house. Why were you spying on me?"

"I wasn't spying," Derek denied. "I wanted to talk to you about something and I couldn't help but overhear what you and your parents were talking about. And then you just took off."

"You knew…you knew about me – about us – but…but you didn't care. You said you didn't care, so why – why would I still want to talk to you?" Jackson stammered.

"You idiot," Derek scoffed. "If you had let me finish, you would have heard me say that I didn't care about whatever happened in the past between us. I was gonna say now that I know we were related, I was going to help you figure out how to stop whoever was controlling you so you wouldn't have to be the Kanima anymore." Then realizing he'd called Jackson an idiot again, Derek sighed, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to call you an idiot. You're not –"

Jackson cut him off, "Actually, I am. I am such an idiot. I was so stupid. God. And now I'm this lizard freak. The Kanima or whatever you guys call it."

"Actually, you're not anymore. At least I don't think you are," Derek corrected him. "You turned tonight while you were passed out so that your body could heal. And at first you started turning into the Kanima, but then it went away and you turned into a wolf. I think you're ok now. Didn't you feel anything?"

Jackson looked at Derek, dumbfounded. "I…I don't remember. Everything was either completely black or fuzzy. I think I felt this surge of something, but…I didn't know what it was. Are you sure it's over?"

"Pretty sure," Derek nodded. "Scott had found out awhile ago that a Kanima is really a werewolf that didn't have a sense of identity. And I'm guessing your past and whatever inner turmoil you had about it was what caused you to turn into the Kanima. But now that you know who your real parents are, you 'found yourself' so you're ok."

"I think I heard you. When I was unconscious, I think I heard you talking to me…I dunno. Thought it must have been a dream, because you were saying some pretty sappy stuff. Something like I was the only family you had and to not leave you alone," Jackson grinned impishly.

Derek rolled his eyes. "Hey, I said whatever I thought would get a reaction from you, ok. I do not say or do sap."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be a jerk," Jackson apologized. "I guess even if I'm not that thing anymore, I'm still me. But I'm gonna try. And uhh…thanks. For…you know…saving me and everything."

"I wouldn't have had to save you if you had listened to me when I came to your house instead of taking off like that," Derek deflected, trying to avoid being emotional now that the worst had passed.

"Well, have you thought that this could have all been avoided if you had tried talking to me about it earlier?" Jackson sarcastically joked.

Derek narrowed his eyes and retorted, "It's a two way street. You should have come to me as soon as you found out."

Unfazed, Jackson replied half teasing and half serious, "I don't know if you realized, but you're kinda scary and I wasn't exactly in a good place."

"I don't know if _you_ realized, but the Kanima was pretty scary, too," Derek responded.

Jackson got quiet and Derek remembered that Jackson had no idea of what the kanima was doing. Not wanting the awkward silence to drag out, Derek joked, "You probably don't remember, but you bled all over my passenger seat. It's gonna be a real bitch to get out."

Cracking a smile, Jackson pointed to Derek's clothes. "It looks like I bled all over you too. Sorry about the jacket. And what did they mean about tipping over SUVs?"

"We didn't stay for the show, but I'm can't even imagine how many graves Isaac and Boyd desecrated when they stole the Argents' SUVs and chased them around the cemetery," Derek said with a laugh.

After another short silence, Derek asked, "How did you find out?"

"I had no idea why I was turning. Didn't know if it was related to the bite or something else," Jackson replied. "So I thought that if there are people who were born as wolves, maybe there are lizard people out there too. I decided to find out if my birth parents could be that and hit the jackpot when I got into one of the safes. How did you find out?"

"Erica's dad was the insurance rep on the case. She got into his files," Derek answered.

Another short silence and Jackson got up. "I think it's time my parents told me the rest of what happened. You wanna come?"

Derek nodded. "But we should probably get cleaned up first. Seeing me with you will probably be enough of a shock."

Jackson looked down at his tattered and blood soaked clothes and nodded as well. "Yeah, good idea. And hey, Derek? Where's my car?"

* * *

A/N: Not sure who exactly knew that Jackson's the first person Derek bit, but for the sake of my story, only Scott and Stiles knew.

And I didn't like how the show resolved the whole kanima thing. It felt like they were just like "ok, last episode, wrap it up." Cuz for almost the whole two seasons, they made it seem like Jackson and Lydia only dated cuz they were both good looking and popular, etc. Then suddenly show says they had such a true and real and deep connection that she's the only one who could bring him out of the abyss that was the kanima? I didn't buy it. I felt that the only thing that would fix him was to find his birth parents. Remember his hallucination of the couple with no faces at Lydia's party? Which actually doesn't happen in my fic…lol. But my thoughts are that a familial connection (even one I made up) totally trumps Lydia's "connection" to Jackson.

Sorry if Derek seemed a bit OCC (read sappy), but I figured that even he's entitled to be a bit emotional since his newly found long lost relative almost just died. And I hope the dialogue at the end wasn't boring… =P

And one last thing! I wanna pimp my new Jerek fic, called Redemption. Just posted the first chappy. Go read it…lol.

And as usual, reviews would be greatly appreciated. =)


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